The government and other apparel stakeholders have initiated negotiations to resolve some issues, including corrective action plan, that surfaced centering on the ongoing factory assessment programmes, sources said.
Other disputes including sharing of factory information on inspection report, continuation of export orders for factories located at shared buildings and some standards including setting up of sprinklers will also be discussed.
Apparel makers, buyers and government will sit to discuss the issues next month, industry insiders said adding that they are expected to evaluate the outcomes and go for the successful completion of the factory inspection programmes.
The Board members of Alliance will arrive here next month and hold meetings with apparel makers, high officials of commerce and labour ministries on April 14 to 16 while the Accord's advisory committee will sit first week of next month, they added.
The move came following the apparel makers' allegation over the factory inspection programmes, fund required for execution of the corrective action plan, some standards and carrying out of the assessment by foreign engineers.
Both the Accord and Alliance high officials will sit with the government and the apparel makers to discuss issues related to the safety compliances, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) vice president Md Shahidullah Azim told the FE.
"Some disputes between the apparel makers and buyers have arisen regarding factory assessment programmes and those issues are expected to be discussed during the meetings," he said explaining that they will also evaluate the developments so far made after the Rana Plaza building collapsed.
"We will request both the groups for selective sharing of the inspection reports in the greater interest of the sector," he said adding "they will also go through the details of the corrective action plan and arrangement of fund required for execution of the remedial plan."
The meetings will also focus the issues of flexibility of some standards, and at least two years' time for relocation of any factory, he added.
Alliance managing director M Rabin said they are expected to discuss whether there are any concerns following the assessment programmes, and if there was, what were the issues are and how to address them.
"We just got some comments which discourage the buyers but they (makers) are yet to share their concerns formally with us," he said.
About 44 per cent of the Alliance listed factories have already been assessed while no factory has been recommended to be shut down, he said adding "and we have no plan to shut any factory."
IndustriAll Bangladesh Council secretary general and member of the steering committee of the Accord Roy Ramesh Chandra also confirmed that the Accord advisory committee will sit to evaluate the overall progress next month.
